Alcohol believed to play role in crash

By LINDELL KAY - Daily News Staff

Published: Friday, February 15, 2013 at 01:20 PM.

Regardless of his personal demons, Johnny Ayala was a loving father who cared for their seven children, his wife said. He had two from a previous relationship, she had three prior to their marriage and they had two children together. She said he cared for all of them as his own.

“He was a good man and should be remembered as a good husband and father,” Anna Ayala said.

Troopers said there is evidence Johnny Ayala had been drinking alcohol prior to the wreck. An autopsy is scheduled.

Johnny Ayala was convicted in 2010 of DWI and two counts of driving while license revoked, according to the N.C. Public Safety Department. He had two court dates scheduled in March on charges including two counts of DWI, two counts of driving while license revoked, reckless driving with wanton disregard for public safety, resisting a police officer, driving left of center, driving on unsafe tires and failure to report a wreck, according to the N.C. Court Calendar.

Contact Daily News Senior Reporter Lindell Kay at 910-219-8455 or lindell.kay@jdnews.com. Follow him on Twitter and friend him on Facebook @ 1lindell.

A Richlands man who died in a suspected drunk driving wreck Thursday should be remembered as a good Marine, husband and father, his widow said Friday.

Johnny Ayala, 35, died at the scene of a 5 p.m. crash south of Richlands. He had a history of driving while impaired arrests since returning from the Iraq War.

His widow, Anna Ayala, said she witnessed a nightmare come to life when she saw her husband’s vehicle smashed to pieces by an 18-wheeler.

“I saw him die,” she said in tears during a brief phone interview Friday afternoon.

She said she was on the way home from work and saw her husband at the intersection of Fowler Manning and Gregory Fork roads. He was making a left turn off of Fowler Manning when she saw the tractor-trailer coming down Gregory Fork. She was heading northbound on Gregory Manning; the truck was heading southbound.

She saw that her husband was about to turn into the path of the truck and tried to warn him. He had just waved at her and apparently mistook her warnings as a returning wave, Anna Ayala said.

Johnny Ayala’s vehicle was struck by the 18-wheeler. His vehicle then smashed into his wife’s car.

“I jumped out and ran to him,” she said. “He died with me right there.”

There were no other reported injures, according to the N.C. State Highway Patrol.

Anna Ayala said her husband had problems as result of his time in Iraq as a Marine.

“He suffered PTSD. He was severely depressed,” she said. “He was medically discharged. I have a big bag of pills he had to take.”

She said her husband was never the same after returning from combat.

“He had nightmares and couldn’t sleep,” she said. “He had to shoot a little girl who had a bomb strapped to her chest.”

Regardless of his personal demons, Johnny Ayala was a loving father who cared for their seven children, his wife said. He had two from a previous relationship, she had three prior to their marriage and they had two children together. She said he cared for all of them as his own.

“He was a good man and should be remembered as a good husband and father,” Anna Ayala said.

Troopers said there is evidence Johnny Ayala had been drinking alcohol prior to the wreck. An autopsy is scheduled.

Johnny Ayala was convicted in 2010 of DWI and two counts of driving while license revoked, according to the N.C. Public Safety Department. He had two court dates scheduled in March on charges including two counts of DWI, two counts of driving while license revoked, reckless driving with wanton disregard for public safety, resisting a police officer, driving left of center, driving on unsafe tires and failure to report a wreck, according to the N.C. Court Calendar.

Contact Daily News Senior Reporter Lindell Kay at 910-219-8455 or lindell.kay@jdnews.com. Follow him on Twitter and friend him on Facebook @ 1lindell.

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A Richlands man who died in a suspected drunk driving wreck Thursday had a history of driving while impaired arrests.

Johnny Ayala, 35, died at the scene of a 5 p.m. crash south of Richlands. He turned his vehicle into the path of a southbound tractor-trailer while making a left turn onto Gregory Fork Road from Fowler Manning Road, according to the N.C. State Highway Patrol.

Ayala’s vehicle was jolted into striking a third vehicle in the northbound lane.

There were no other reported injures.

Attempts to contact members of Ayala’s family were unsuccessful.

Troopers said there is evidence Ayala had been drinking alcohol prior to the wreck. An autopsy is scheduled.

Ayala was convicted in 2010 of DWI and two counts of driving while license revoked, according to the N.C. Public Safety Department.

He has two court dates set in March on charges including two counts of DWI, two counts of driving while license revoked, reckless driving with wanton disregard for public safety, resisting a police officer, driving left of center, driving on unsafe tires, and failure to report wreck, according to the N.C. Court Calendar.

Contact Daily News Senior Reporter Lindell Kay at 910-219-8455 or lindell.kay@jdnews.com. Follow him on Twitter and friend him on Facebook @ 1lindell.